Week Old Kittens and Orange Poop

[lilythekittenmom]

I'd like to preface this by saying that I am taking them to the vet tomorrow and tonight I'm going to be up every 2 hours to monitor them carefully.

These two abandoned babies were put into my care Thursday of last week. I have had no experience with kittens this young but I've tried to watch every video out there of how to care for them, I'm constantly checking on them and making sure they're alright, and they have become a top priority in my life.

As of right now, they are doing really well. They meow, purr, crawl around, eat well, and urinate, but they have failed to poop. I've been trying to stimulate them but to no avail, they just pee. I took them to a vet Saturday and the vet told me it was normal for them to have issues once they got on formula. I thought okay, I'll wait. Still, no poop until today when I was able to stimulate one of them enough to were she pooped and a very firm orange turd came out, later a few more pieces as well. It definitely hurt her to push it out she was very distressed. I have since watered down their formula a little as well as mixed in a couple of drops of olive oil.

I worried for the other who has not pooped. I'm not sure what to do. I'm afraid after going to the vet tomorrow they will just tell me that they're fine, which they obviously aren't, and it will be a waste of $50-80.

More than anything I want these kittens to do well. I'm just so scared and worried for them.

 

[StefanZ]

Please give a couple of pics on the kittens as well, so we can see their age. You say one week, but by their description they may have more.

To water down some the kmr, and add a couple of drops of oil, is standard and good you did this.

Exactly what kmr do you use? Can you get raw goats milk?

 

[StefanZ]

You can ask the vet to do an enema, ie flush out the poo with warmish water. Vets often do this with persistent constipation when the poo has become stone hard and cant get out by mere stimulation. Its a quick remedy for the moment. Later on, I hope yours new trick with this somewhat watered down formula + olive oil, will help to stop further constipation.

More potent oils than olive or other food oils, are minerale oil. The difficulty is to find one which is food grade. Although as I understand it, in USA there is a brand called for Minerale oil, and its more or less food grade.

Here in Sweden we sometimes use liquid paraffine, its potent in such cases of constipation. There are food grade and also labelled for veterinary use. But liquid paraffine for working up leather, for example in horse gears, may be essentielly the same.
At least, the swedish brand I found in a horse shop, I mailed to the producer and asked. They answered their veterinary liquid paraffine is the same as their paraffine for working leather, essentially just different bottles...


Also, I want to tip about a very good stimulation method.
You use warm running water, ie 38-40 C or 105-7 F, ie a shade warmer than kitten body temp.
You hold the kitten in one palm, possibly in a cloth so its easier to hold still, and set in the rear end under the running water.
With the other hands forefinger you tap the genitals.

The warmish water makes the kitten to relax and is massaging, and the finger tapping feels alike mommas licking...

This trick is usually very effective. Lething them bathe in warm water in an old trick, the reinforcement with tapping was given by our forumist and advisor Catwoman707,


Of course, be sure the kitten doesnt get chilled off. No draugh, warm and cozy during the procedure and afterwards, and dry off the kitten.

A heating IR lamp is useful, although not necessary.

 

[lilythekittenmom]

Please give a couple of pics on the kittens as well, so we can see their age. You say one week, but by their description they may have more.

To water down some the kmr, and add a couple of drops of oil, is standard and good you did this.

Exactly what kmr do you use? Can you get raw goats milk?

Please give a couple of pics on the kittens as well, so we can see their age. You say one week, but by their description they may have more.

To water down some the kmr, and add a couple of drops of oil, is standard and good you did this.

Exactly what kmr do you use? Can you get raw goats milk?

 

[lilythekittenmom]

Here are pictures of the two of them. They were born last Monday.

 

[lilythekittenmom]

You can ask the vet to do an enema, ie flush out the poo with warmish water. Vets often do this with persistent constipation when the poo has become stone hard and cant get out by mere stimulation. Its a quick remedy for the moment. Later on, I hope yours new trick with this somewhat watered down formula + olive oil, will help to stop further constipation.

More potent oils than olive or other food oils, are minerale oil. The difficulty is to find one which is food grade. Although as I understand it, in USA there is a brand called for Minerale oil, and its more or less food grade.

Here in Sweden we sometimes use liquid paraffine, its potent in such cases of constipation. There are food grade and also labelled for veterinary use. But liquid paraffine for working up leather, for example in horse gears, may be essentielly the same.
At least, the swedish brand I found in a horse shop, I mailed to the producer and asked. They answered their veterinary liquid paraffine is the same as their paraffine for working leather, essentially just different bottles...


Also, I want to tip about a very good stimulation method.
You use warm running water, ie 38-40 C or 105-7 F, ie a shade warmer than kitten body temp.
You hold the kitten in one palm, possibly in a cloth so its easier to hold still, and set in the rear end under the running water.
With the other hands forefinger you tap the genitals.

The warmish water makes the kitten to relax and is massaging, and the finger tapping feels alike mommas licking...

This trick is usually very effective. Lething them bathe in warm water in an old trick, the reinforcement with tapping was given by our forumist and advisor Catwoman707,


Of course, be sure the kitten doesnt get chilled off. No draugh, warm and cozy during the procedure and afterwards, and dry off the kitten.

A heating IR lamp is useful, although not necessary.

I already read about the trick of putting them under warm water, I havent tried it yet but I definitely will tomorrow. I don't want to put the one who did poop into anymore distress. I might try with the other one.

I use powered formula not the canned stuff.

 

[StefanZ]

I already read about the trick of putting them under warm water, I havent tried it yet but I definitely will tomorrow. I don't want to put the one who did poop into anymore distress. I might try with the other one.

I use powered formula not the canned stuff.

Good. KMR in powder is usually good. Still, if it by any reason doesnt work out, our recommended alternative will be goats milk, preferably raw goats milk.

 

[lilythekittenmom]

Good. KMR in powder is usually good. Still, if it by any reason doesnt work out, our recommended alternative will be goats milk, preferably raw goats milk.

Okay! I'll see what I can do, I've just heard mixed things about using milk as opposed to kitten formula!

 

[lilythekittenmom]

You can ask the vet to do an enema, ie flush out the poo with warmish water. Vets often do this with persistent constipation when the poo has become stone hard and cant get out by mere stimulation. Its a quick remedy for the moment. Later on, I hope yours new trick with this somewhat watered down formula + olive oil, will help to stop further constipation.

More potent oils than olive or other food oils, are minerale oil. The difficulty is to find one which is food grade. Although as I understand it, in USA there is a brand called for Minerale oil, and its more or less food grade.

Here in Sweden we sometimes use liquid paraffine, its potent in such cases of constipation. There are food grade and also labelled for veterinary use. But liquid paraffine for working up leather, for example in horse gears, may be essentielly the same.
At least, the swedish brand I found in a horse shop, I mailed to the producer and asked. They answered their veterinary liquid paraffine is the same as their paraffine for working leather, essentially just different bottles...


Also, I want to tip about a very good stimulation method.
You use warm running water, ie 38-40 C or 105-7 F, ie a shade warmer than kitten body temp.
You hold the kitten in one palm, possibly in a cloth so its easier to hold still, and set in the rear end under the running water.
With the other hands forefinger you tap the genitals.

The warmish water makes the kitten to relax and is massaging, and the finger tapping feels alike mommas licking...

This trick is usually very effective. Lething them bathe in warm water in an old trick, the reinforcement with tapping was given by our forumist and advisor Catwoman707,


Of course, be sure the kitten doesnt get chilled off. No draugh, warm and cozy during the procedure and afterwards, and dry off the kitten.

A heating IR lamp is useful, although not necessary.

I actually just tried the sink trick! She didn't calm down but A LOT more hard stool came out. It had more of a yellowish tint. Does that mean indisgestion or could that just be because she was constapated?

I also tried with the other kitten and he had no stool at all which worries me.

 

[Sarthur2]

Poop should be a yellowish brown color. More yellow on formula. Orange is from bile in the liver. They sound like they will be fine once they get regular. Add drops of olive oil to each feeding. Full fat goats milk is also excellent, as Stefan mentioned. Vet visit is a good idea. Best of luck and keep us posted!

 

[lilythekittenmom]

Thank you guys! I appreciate it and will definitely update you guys!

 

[lilythekittenmom]

I'd like to preface this by saying that I am taking them to the vet tomorrow and tonight I'm going to be up every 2 hours to monitor them carefully.

These two abandoned babies were put into my care Thursday of last week. I have had no experience with kittens this young but I've tried to watch every video out there of how to care for them, I'm constantly checking on them and making sure they're alright, and they have become a top priority in my life.

As of right now, they are doing really well. They meow, purr, crawl around, eat well, and urinate, but they have failed to poop. I've been trying to stimulate them but to no avail, they just pee. I took them to a vet Saturday and the vet told me it was normal for them to have issues once they got on formula. I thought okay, I'll wait. Still, no poop until today when I was able to stimulate one of them enough to were she pooped and a very firm orange turd came out, later a few more pieces as well. It definitely hurt her to push it out she was very distressed. I have since watered down their formula a little as well as mixed in a couple of drops of olive oil.

I worried for the other who has not pooped. I'm not sure what to do. I'm afraid after going to the vet tomorrow they will just tell me that they're fine, which they obviously aren't, and it will be a waste of $50-80.

More than anything I want these kittens to do well. I'm just so scared and worried for them.

Update: The one kitten who did not pooped still has not pooped, I am worried. The vet told me to lubricate a thermometer and try inserting it in his butt to stimulate. I'm afraid because he's so small.

 

[StefanZ]

He doesnt want to do an enema?

 

[Sarthur2]

Oh dear! Go to the store and buy infant glycerin suppositories. Shave off a tiny, kitten-sized piece with a point on it, and gently insert it. It will not hurt the kitten. Glycerin is soft and it melts. However, it usually only takes a few minutes to bring on a poop. You can do this as often as necessary to help soften the kitten’s poops. I suspect that once the hard matter is cleared the rest will come more easily. Glycerin is easy to work with, safe, and usually successful.

Do not use a thermometer. I am shocked that the vet did not clean the kitten out himself. That is why you were there!

 

[StefanZ]

Update: The one kitten who did not pooped still has not pooped, I am worried. The vet told me to lubricate a thermometer and try inserting it in his butt to stimulate. I'm afraid because he's so small.

You got another excellent tip by SArthur. See here above!

 

[lilythekittenmom]

He doesnt want to do an enema?

No he did not.

 

[lilythekittenmom]

Oh dear! Go to the store and buy infant glycerin suppositories. Shave off a tiny, kitten-sized piece with a point on it, and gently insert it. It will not hurt the kitten. Glycerin is soft and it melts. However, it usually only takes a few minutes to bring on a poop. You can do this as often as necessary to help soften the kitten’s poops. I suspect that once the hard matter is cleared the rest will come more easily. Glycerin is easy to work with, safe, and usually successful.

Do not use a thermometer. I am shocked that the vet did not clean the kitten out himself. That is why you were there!

I definitely will try this! Thank you!

 

[IndyJones]

Is it possible to take him to a different vet? Not a good idea to probe a constipated animal. probing is not usually something that should be done on an adult animal without training let alone a baby.

 

[lilythekittenmom]

I can definitely take them to another vet.

 

[ArchyCat]

I have seen goats milk at PetSmart. Hope the kitten recovers!